Monday, April 8, 2013

Sowing Tomato Seeds Indoors

I sowed 4 different kind of tomato seeds on Saturday, April 6th - plum, yellow pear, grape, and heirloom. I decided to use the plugs and the "mini green houses". They are on the heating mats in the basement. The seed packets did not say how long it would take for them to sprout.

4/17/13
Just about all of the seeds have sprouted and some of the "Bellstar" even have their first true leaves.

4/19/13
Today, I transplanted about 8 tomato plants that have grown their first true leaves. I used the procedure I found in Nancy Bubel's The New Seed Starter Handbook (pp. 43) See Chapter 8 - "Transplanting into New Containers".

Actually, I kind of combined some of the procedures. I had already transplanted a pepper seedling and 4 marigold plants last week, and all seem to be doing well - even the pepper plant (which is the lone survivor from an entire flat). Here are the marigolds:

So I decided to do more: I rolled up 2 layers of newspaper around a salt shaker (any jar will do), taped the side and the bottom, put some moss on the bottom (optional) and then filled will slow-release fertilizer potting soil. I moistened the soil before I filled the "cups". Then, I carefully removed the seedling form the peat plug. Today, I actually put the peat pot right in the soil, because I noticed that the roots had grown right through the sides and bottom, and because I felt that I was harming the little plants.

Here are some of the tomato plants:

These should be able to stay right in these containers until they go in the garden.